Veronica plant named ‘Bicolor Explosion’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of  Veronica , ‘Bicolor Explosion’, characterized by its compact, upright and strong plant habit, its flowers that are bi-colored purple and violet, its freely branching inflorescences, and its tolerance to powdery mildew.

Botanical classification: Veronica hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Bicolor Explosion’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Veronicaof hybrid origin and will be referred to hereafter by its cultivar name,‘Bicolor Explosion’. ‘Bicolor Explosion’ represents a new herbaceousperennial grown for landscape use.

The new cultivar, ‘Bicolor Explosion’, was discovered by the Inventor insummer of 2010 as a naturally occurring branch mutation of Veronica‘Blue Explosion’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,497) in a trial bed in Haarlem,The Netherlands.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished bysoftwood cuttings by the Inventor in summer of 2010 in Haarlem, TheNetherlands. Asexual propagation by division and softwood cuttings hasdetermined that the characteristics of the new cultivar are stable andare reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar. These attributes in combinationdistinguish ‘Bicolor Explosion’ as a unique cultivar of Veronica.

-   -   1. ‘Bicolor Explosion’ exhibits a compact, upright and strong        plant habit.    -   2. ‘Bicolor Explosion’ exhibits flowers that are bi-colored        purple and violet.    -   3. ‘Bicolor Explosion’ exhibits freely branching inflorescences.    -   4. ‘Bicolor Explosion’ exhibits tolerance to powdery mildew.

The parent plant of ‘Bicolor Explosion’, ‘Blue Explosion’, differs from‘Bicolor Explosion’ in having flowers that are blue in color and notbi-colored. ‘Bicolor Explosion’ can be most closely compared to theVeronica cultivars ‘Blue Bomb’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,509) and ‘PinkExplosion’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 22,592). Both cultivars are similar to‘Bicolor Explosion’ in having a compact, upright plant habit and inflowering from June into September in Haarlem, The Netherlands. ‘BlueBomb’ differs from ‘Bicolor Explosion’ in having less branched and lesscompact inflorescences, in being shorter in height, in havingsingle-colored flowers, and in having stems that are narrower in width.‘Pink Explosion’ differs from ‘Bicolor Explosion’ in havingsingle-colored flowers that are light pink in color.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Veronica. The photographs weretaken of nine month-old plants of ‘Bicolor Explosion’ as field grown inHaarlem, The Netherlands (place in a container for the photographs).

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a side view of a plant of ‘BicolorExplosion’ in bloom.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a close-up view of an inflorescence of‘Bicolor Explosion’.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of the foliage of‘Bicolor Explosion’.

The colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color valuescited in the detailed botanical description, which accurately describethe colors of the new Veronica.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new cultivar as observedfor a plant about 9-months in age as field grown outdoors in Haarlem,The Netherlands. The plants were grown under average day temperatures of15° to 30° C. and average night temperatures of 6° to 18° C. Thephenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations in environmental,climatic, and cultural conditions, as it has not been tested under allpossible environmental conditions. The color determination is inaccordance with The 2007 R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal HorticulturalSociety, London, England, except where general color terms of ordinarydictionary significance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Blooming period.—Continuously from June to September.        -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Plant habit.—Compact, upright and strong plant habit.        -   Height and spread.—Reaches about 75 cm in height and 25 cm            in spread.        -   Hardiness.—At least hardy in U.S.D.A. Zone 4.        -   Diseases.—Has shown tolerance to powdery mildew.        -   Root description.—Fibrous and fine.        -   Propagation.—Division or softwood cuttings.        -   Growth rate.—Moderate.-   Stem description:    -   -   Shape.—Round.        -   Stem quantity.—Average of 3 main stems.        -   Stem color.—144A.        -   Stem size.—Average of 8 mm in diameter and 47.3 cm            (excluding inflorescence) in length, internode is 3.2 cm in            length.        -   Stem surface.—Slightly glossy and moderately covered with            pubescence hairs; an average of 5 mm in length and 157D in            color.        -   Stem aspect.—Held at an average angle of 85° to soil level.        -   Branching habit.—Moderately branching from the base.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf division.—Simple.        -   Leaf arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Leaf shape.—Narrow ovate to lanceolate, slightly to            moderately curved and slightly carinate.        -   Leaf size.—An average of 9.9 cm in length and 3.7 cm in            length.        -   Leaf number.—Average of 30 per branch.        -   Leaf base.—Truncate.        -   Leaf apex.—Acute.        -   Leaf margin.—Finely serrate with an average of 6 teeth per            cm.        -   Leaf venation.—Pinnate, upper surface 144A in color, lower            surface 144B in color.        -   Leaf surface.—Upper surface moderately glossy, lower surface            slightly glossy, both surfaces moderately to densely covered            with very short pubescent hairs; 157D in color, average            length of hairs on upper side is 1 mm, average length of            hairs on lower surface is 2 mm.        -   Leaf color.—Young upper surface; 143A, young lower surface;            color between 143B and 144A, mature upper surface; color            between N137B and 147A, mature lower surface; 147B.        -   Leaf attachment.—Sessile.-   Flower description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Compound racemes of rotate-shaped            flowers.        -   Lastingness of inflorescence.—Individual flowers last 3 to 4            days, inflorescence lasts about 10 days, blooms from bottom            of raceme towards apex.        -   Inflorescence size.—Average of 21.5 cm in length and 10.6 cm            in diameter.        -   Flower type.—Outward and campanulate in shape.        -   Flower number.—Average of 3,700 per compound inflorescence            and 11,000 per plant.        -   Flower fragrance.—None.        -   Flower buds.—Ovate in shape, about 5 mm in length and 2 mm            in diameter, color is 75D and 76D, marbled and striped with            N88C.        -   Flower size.—About 8 mm in depth and 8 mm in diameter.        -   Peduncles.—Primary peduncle; 21.3 cm in length and 3 mm in            diameter, held vertically, strong, and 138A to 138B in            color, secondary peduncles; 15.1 cm in length and 2 mm in            diameter, held at an average angle of 40°, strong and 138A            to 138B in color.        -   Pedicels.—An average of 1.5 mm in length and 0.5 mm in            width, held at an average angle of 45°, strong, 138A to 138B            in color.        -   Calyx.—Rotate in shape, an average of 3 mm in length and 3            mm in diameter.        -   Sepals.—4, rotate, narrow ovate in shape, base is cuneate            with lower 5% fused, matte and glabrous surfaces, entire            margin, acute apex, lower sepals 3 mm in length and 1 mm in            width, upper sepals 1.75 mm in length and 1 mm in width,            color; immature and mature upper surfaces 141A, immature and            mature lower surfaces 138B.        -   Petals.—4, campanulate in shape, obtuse apex, lower 40%            fused, entire margin, color; upper side when opening; 75C,            marbled and striped with N88B to N88C, lower side when            opening; 75C to 75D, marbled and striped N88B to N88C, upper            surface when fully opened; 75C, marbled and striped N88B to            N88C, lower surface fully opened; 75C to 75D, marbled and            striped N88B to N88C, lower petal 2.5 mm in width, lateral            petals 3 mm in width, upper petal 4 mm in width and all are            5 mm in length.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Gynoecium.—1 Pistil 6 mm in length, style is about 55 mm in            length and N78C to N78D in color, stigma is clavate in shape            and 77A in color, ovary is superior 145A in color.        -   Androecium.—2 stamens, filament is about 5 mm in length and            between 85C and N88D in color, anthers are dorsifixed and            elliptic in shape, about 2 mm in length and N77B to N77D in            color, pollen is moderate in quantity and 4C in color.        -   Fruit.—Fruit and seed production was not observed under the            conditions tested.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Veronica plant named‘Bicolor Explosion’ as herein illustrated and described.